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Thursday, 16 August 2018

Saraki’s Impeachment: PDP Senators Keep Vigil At NASS

SENATORS of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are keeping vigil at the National Assembly in a bid to forestall the impeachment of Senate President, Bukola Saraki.Since his defection to the PDP, there have been several calls for Mr Saraki to relinquish his position.The top lawmaker has refused to heed the calls insisting that only members of the Senate could decide his fate.An attempt by Senators of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to effect a change of leadership at the Senate has often met a brick wall. They range from Stolen mace; House Arrest of principal officers of the chamber and most recently the siege laid at the legislative arm of government, last week.Confirming the vigil been kept by PDP Senators at the parliament, Senator Philip Gyunka (Nasarawa North) on Wednesday said the opposition lawmakers decided to split themselves into two groups.Mr Gyunka who stated this at the PDP secretariat in Lafia while declaring his intention to contest the 2019 governorship election noted that while one group watches the legislative arm of government during the day, others take their turn during the night.In his reaction, Senator Clifford Ordia (Edo Central) said the APC will never get the 2/3 majority needed to impeach Saraki and Ekweremadu.“APC knows that it doesn’t have the number to remove Saraki and Ekweremandu as president of the Senate and deputy president of the Senate respectively. They need 2/3 to remove them and they will never have it in this Eight Senate. Let them continue to chase shadows until they get tired,” Ordia told Daily Sun.

“Those saying that 2/3 of those present and voting can remove Saraki and Ekweremadu are ignorant of the law. They know that they are wrong and that they are on the wrong side of history. I don’t know why they are losing sleep over this issue. Instead of them to focus on more important things, they are chasing shadows.“We will not allow them to remove Saraki and Ekweremadu. We will defend their mandate.“APC didn’t give them the mandate. We did. If it means keeping night vigil at the National Assembly to ensure that their plans don’t succeed, we will do it.“When it comes to the issue of lawmaking, there are global best practices. The parliament all over the world has a way of conducting its affairs. I don’t know why the APC wants to teach us how to run our business. This is a threat to democracy and we must not allow this to happen. Nigerians must rise up and defend this democracy,” the Edo lawmaker said.Reacting to the development PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said, “It is all to ensure that the APC is not allowed to destroy the democracy that we laboured for while they were busy enjoying with Abacha.”